Seesaw



Ju ne 1,1926. 1,586,899

W. L. HERRING SEESAW Filed Sept. 12, 1?25 Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED srarss WALTER L. HEBBING,

OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

seesaw.

Application filed September 12, 1925. Serial No. 55,991.

This invention provides a toy for the amusement of children which admits of achild ii'idulging in a teetering movement without requiring the assistance of a companion, as necessitated when indulging in the pastime of seesawing in the ordinary manner by means of a plank fulcrumed between its ends and requiring each end of the plank to be occupied.

The present invention contemplates a teeter member provided atone end with means for detachably connecting it to a suitable support, such as th jamb of a door frame, and having a seat at the opposite or free end and equipped with a foot rest and a handle member, a counterbalancing spring being interposed between the teeter member and the support to which said member is pivoted.

The invention further contemplates novel attaching means for the parts to admit of the toy being easily and quickly placed in position for use and readily dismounted to be laid aside when not required for immediate service.

While the drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, nevertheless it is to be understood that in adapting the toy to meet different conditions the design may be varied and such other changes in'the minor details may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a clear understanding of the invention and the merits thereof reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attached, in'which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the toy in operative position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through the teeter member, foot rest and standard forming the handle member, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The toy comprises a teeter member 1 which may be of any preferred material and which is narrow for the greater part of its length and widened at one end to provide a seat 2 for reception of the child using the toy. An upright 3 projects from the member 1 adj acent the seat 2 and is provided at its upper end with a cross piece constituting a handle bar 4. A suitable brace 5 supports the upright 3 and is interposed between it and the member 1. A foot rest is mounted upon the teeter member and, in the preferable construction, consists of bar or like member attached intermediate its ends to the member 1 by a fastening 7. Opposite ends of the bar 6 project laterally and incline outwardly and downwardly and terminate in offset portions 8 forming rests for the feet.

A counter-balancing spring 9 of the contractile type is connected at one end by means of an element 10 to the teeter member 1 and is adapted to be connected at its opposite end with the support to which the toy is attached. A clamp 11 is provided as means for adjustably connecting the counterbalancing spring 9 to the support 12 and this clamp may be adjusted to vary the elfective tension of the spring 9 according to the weight of the child using the toy.

A clamp 13 similar to the clamp 11 is associated with the pivotal end of the teeter member 1 and serves as convenient means for pivotally, detachably and adjustably con- 30 necting the toy to the support. Each of the clamps comprises similar or like jaws 14, a connecting bolt 15 and winged nut 16, a spacing collar 17 being mounted upon the threaded end of the bolt and interposed between the nut and the adjacent jaw. As shown, the spring 9 is connected to the bolt 15 of the upper clamp 11 and the teeter member 1 is pivotally connected to the bolt 15 of the lower clamp 13. A sleeve 18 connected to the pivotal end of the member 1 receives the bolt 15 of the clamp13.

When the toy is ad'usted for use it is connected to a suitable support 12, as the jamb of a door, by means of the clamps 11 and 13, effective tension of the spring 9 being regulated by vertical adjustment of the clamp 11. The clamps are prevented from slipping by inwardly disposed points 17 V positively engaging the support, as indicated most clearly in Figure 3. The child perched upon the seat 2 grasps the handle bar 41- and may place the feet upon the rest 8 and by an upward impulse, such as in the act of seesawing, operates the toy in conjunction with the spring 9 in a manner to enjoy a teetering movement.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: 7 p

1. A childs toy, comprising a teeter memher, having a seat at one end, a clamp at the opposite end, embodying a pivot and clamp bolt loosely engaging the member and having its ends projecting and jaws mounted on the projecting ends of the bolt, and a counter-balancing spring in cooperative re- 5 lation with the said teeter member.

2. A childs toy, comprising a narrow teeter member having a seat at one end, a clamp at the opposite end of the member, embodying a bolt loosely connected thereto and hav- 19 ing its ends extended and jaws mounted upon the projecting ends of the bolt, handle and foot rest members adjacent the seat end of the teeter member, a contractile spring connected at one end to the teeter member, a bolt at the opposite end of the spring, and 15 jaws mounted on the ends of the bolt.

Signed at Tulsa, Oklahoma, this 11th day of January, 1926.

WALTER L. HERRING. 

